[PLOT:TARDIS]

[more_flexible]

Jack had been searching the corridors and rooms for...he didn't know how long. When he came across food, he ate it and when he was tired he had lain down in a place that was as lovely as the butterfly atrium had been. He never did find that again, which was kinda tragic, but he was too busy searching. He'd forgotten all about his lunch and the repairs. He'd forgotten the Doctor's warning that he needed to be careful or he'd walk out a month later and think only a few days had passed. He'd forgotten any responsibilities or friends he had on the island...not forgotten entirely, but it just seemed like they wouldn't be bothered if he was gone for a while. He had something to do. Something consuming. Something important. The TARDIS needed him and he could help. He could make her better.

As he looked down the deep shaft that continued on in inky darkness, down and down into what could be anything, Jack knew that was where he needed to go. He needed to get down in there, no matter how long it took. He circled the giant hole and tried to find a way past the barricade, the decided that the best course of action was to simply climb over. He could jump in and get to the bottom faster. He'd fix her with his bare hands or die trying.

He'd already died once and come back thanks to the TARDIS and Rose. He wasn't afraid. Death was just a do-over.

Comments

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

Something was very, very wrong. The Doctor could feel it as he went into the TARDIS to look for the Winnie the Pooh books for Jane to read to Lydia, something to do in the rain that didn't show much sign of letting up. The light was different, and not like the light that had been there before she had been fixed.

And then, the door.

Running up to the sheer wall, he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, growing as he slapped the wall with his bare hand. Power drain, but from where, and why? He had a monitor on now all the time, he should have known about this ages back.

It took fifteen minutes of frantic percussive maintenance before he managed to get the access to stabilise, and the interior monitors flared to life, indicating only one entry in the last week.

Jack.

At which point the Doctor started to run.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack had gotten halfway over and stopped, looking into the darkness. Something told him this was a very bad idea, despite how much he felt like it was what he needed to do.

It wasn't all that unusual a sensation.

He remained in place, heart and head fighting with one another while he stared down into nothing.

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

He worked on instinct, not certain that he'd be able to get out again, but definitely certain that if he didn't go forward, things would fall apart, if they hadn't already. Running as if he didn't notice how far he'd gone, how fast, he headed for the sector where companions didn't usually go. He didn't even know Jack had known about it.

Maybe he hadn't. Which meant this was going to be very bad indeed.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

The darkness began to thump like a heartbeat. Like footfalls. Like rubber tread on...grating. Jack tilted his head as he looked into the nothing, then looked over his shoulder. There was nothing but him in the room. Nothing but him and the darkness and the idea that he could fix this. He could fix it and everyone else could get off the island.

That thought alone was enough to make it worth it.

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

The Doctor found his bearings after a few moments more, rounding a corner and ducking through a half-opened door that looked out onto the centre of the TARDIS. The long open chamber to the true heart, a bright light that was impossible for even him to look at directly. And there, at the rail, looking down into it, was Jack.

He didn't have to look him in the eye to know.

"Jack."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack turned his head just enough to show the Doctor his profile before he smiled.

"Doctor. It's all right. I know what I'm doing."

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"Jack," the Doctor said again, drawing him back, not being disarmed by that. "Jack, that's what I'm afraid of. What are you doing, Jack?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I know what to do," he replied, returning his gaze to the deep shaft. ""I can fix her and you can all get off the island. You'll take them all, right?"

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"You know that's not the way," the Doctor said softly, stepping closer. "This isn't the answer. It's not up to her, it's up to the island, and it's warped her, Jack."

Well, he was guessing, but it seemed plausible.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"No! She's fine," he protested. "She can be fine. I'd ask you to come too, but someone needs to run her."

Protesting even that much made his gut twist. Just one more thing to complicate everything. He knew what to do...but he had never doubted the Doctor. He didn't want to start now.

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

The Doctor extended his hand. "Jack, a sacrifice like that will do nothing but make us all live without you," he said. "Here, on the island, with no way out. There are no easy answers."

God, how long had he been in here? Had he even eaten? Maybe the dimensions were warped enough that to him it hadn't been so long.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack swallowed hard and struggled to look away from her. Both seemed like the right thing to do, no easy answer or not.

When he finally tore his eyes away and looked at the Doctor's hand, his brows creased with confusion. He started to reach out but his hand stopped and hung there.

"It's worth it, Doctor. All these people, this one chance? It's worth it." His eyes rose from the slender fingers to meet those ageless, dark eyes. "Isn't it?"

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"No, Jack."

The Doctor met his gaze, and shit, he'd looked and looked hard, hadn't Jack? But the TARDIS wasn't entirely herself, and neither were either of the two men.

"Not like this. Please."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He took a slow, shaky breath, then reached for the Doctor's hand. As soon as he made contact, as soon as there was skin against skin and he could feel the Doctor's pulse pounding beneath his palm, Jack looked at him and saw him more clearly.

"What...are you doing here?" he asked, not entirely sure why he was there, either.

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

The Doctor felt it, like a jolt of energy

and for just a nanosecond he thought he was connected to her again, never alone

and then the feeling dissipated into nothing, just him and Jack's firm, slightly callused hand. He cleared his throat.

"Saving your arse," he said, and clasped Jack's fingers between his. "Too fine a thing to lose."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack got both feet on the floor as he held onto the Doctor. Confusion was written across his face, but rather than admit it, he looked behind himself.

"It's a great ass. Shame to lose it to...anything, really," he quipped.

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"Oh, stop it," the Doctor said, and pulled him towards the door. They needed to make tracks, put distance between themselves and the core. "Look, what day is it?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Oh, come on," he laughed, following along like a dutiful child. "It's, um...what, Saturday? Sunday morning? Something like that."

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

The Doctor's face changed, even though he figured that was the answer he'd get, and he pulled Jack more firmly towards the door. "Jack, it's Wednesday afternoon. The first of October. You...how did you get there?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Wednesday? No...it can't be. I just came in here," he said, looking back over his shoulder. If he just had a little more time, he could have fixed...something.

"I got done with rehearsal and I thought that I'd work on the relays a little more and...and there was alight from the console and...huh. I can't remember. I mean, I can. I had pot noodles and I found a park, and then I was here and...hey, where are we? I've never seen this part of her."

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"We're in the core," the Doctor said simply. "Oh, Jack, you didn't."

Interesting how the TARDIS had let him have bloody pot noodles, though. He hoped he'd cleaned up after himself.

"You know better than to look into the heart. She took you, Jack. If the island didn't have her limited, it would probably have killed you."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"It's not like I did it on purpose!" Jack shot back at him. "I just turned on some music and then...then I think...I'm not an egg. That's something."

For all his protesting, Jack knew the Doctor was right. He should have known better. He had known it, but he couldn't look away.

"I just looked. And had this idea. Inspiration. Like she explained just what I had to do. It...well, it made sense at the time."

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"I'm not an egg," the Doctor drawled, rolling his eyes. It was not the most intelligent thing Jack Harkness had ever said. He finally got them into the corridor. "Look, the heart of the TARDIS...it's not something that works with human brains. It's beyond comprehension. She loves you, Jack, but that got twisted."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I didn't do it on purpose," he repeated, hanging his head a little even as his gaze darted back the way they had come. "I brought food, I was just going to get under her skirts for a while. I didn't think she'd...whatever. Open. She's been shut up for so long. I didn't expect it."

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"I know you didn't, just...you have to be more careful. You've been gone for days. You could have died and no one would have known."

He didn't even know if the door to the outside would be open, would let them out. Shit. He reckoned they could at least have pot noodles.